Increase the pleasure of running with proper nutrition

May 9, 2020

09:37

Nutrition

Due to the Corona situation, there will be no fun runs for the time being. Due to the lack of exercise alternatives in the home office and thanks to the fantastic spring weather, outdoor endurance sports are nevertheless more popular than ever before. After all, men and women do something good for themselves with exercise.

Issue

In order to become faster when running, the amateur athlete is allowed to train 1-2 times a week at a higher intensity. If, however, the correct sports nutrition is lacking or if you are not well recovered from the previous day due to everyday stress (e.g. corona stress) or a previous training load, then you are not doing yourself any good and may even pull your body out. Possible consequences: longer recovery time necessary between training sessions, performance slump or, if the intensity is too high in the evening, even a deteriorated sleep quality.

Nice to know

In the consultations we therefore try to sensitize our runners to the following points again and again:

Heart rate oriented training:

Most people overestimate their fitness or recovery status and therefore run with a too high heart rate

Take calorie consumption into account:

Many people underestimate how many calories the body burns. In our consultations we measure this in each case by means of spiroergometry. Depending on gender, age, running intensity and fitness level, this is between 400-900 calories per hour. For more intensive runs, carbohydrate consumption is the most important factor. If the body’s own carbohydrate stores are not full, the body does not fall back on its own fat deposits during an intensive run, but on important body’s own protein building blocks.

Reduce body fat vs. get fitter:

Running and other training units are not about burning and losing fat. It is about getting fitter. The fitter a person is, the easier it is to reduce body fat in the non-training time (recovery phase).

Sober training:

If you have a good performance capacity, you can do a sober training 1-2 times a week with the right heart rate (basic endurance) and without any preload.

Conclusion

Undisputedly it needs a certain training stimulus. In running, however, less is often also more. Recreation is often the focus of everyday sports life, but is usually neglected. Nutrition plays a central role in recovery. If it is not optimal, if your fitness level is over or underestimated or if mental stress is high, then it is a good idea to consume carbohydrates before and during training. In this way, you should also be able to enjoy running in the long term.

Further Blog Topics

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